The Past
by TheNotoriousNovelist
Summary: After Shoko died, Anders the Sorcerer/bounty-hunter was born. At the age of 17, he was hired by Princess Bubblegum. What he didn't suspect was he and Bubblegum would fall in love. Hundreds of years later, Finn and friends find Ice King's vault that he sealed off long ago. Is there a connection? OCxPB FPxFinn don't own cover image


**Anders has blue skin and black hair with a white streak and glowing green eyes. He also has pointed ears.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Adventure Time. I do own Anders and Rocco.**

* * *

The Past

Anders flew on the back of his flying phoenix, Rocco, as they flew over the newly established Candy Kingdom. Anders and Rocco spiraled down and landed on the launch pad of the castle. Princess Bubblegum stood with Baby Peppermint by her side as Anders got off.

"Anders the Sorcerer! Welcome to my kingdom!" Princess Bubblegum announced.

Anders snapped his fingers and the click echoed around, causing Rocco to transform from a magnificent bird to a robin unnaturally coloured black with blue under his wings and blue belly. Rocco landed on Anders' thumb, sinking his talons into the leather of Anders' fingerless gloves.

"S'up, Princesa," Anders greeted, holding his backpack strap "Whatcha need?"

"In due time, good sir," said Princess Bubblegum "Come with me,"

Anders shrugged and followed her into her castle.

_"Dude, this chick is H-O-T! You should totally make-out with her," _Rocco telepathically told his master.

"Shut-up, Rocco," Anders hissed through gritted teeth "She's a client,"

_"Anders, I can read your mind. I know you think this girl's beautiful. You're 17, she's 17, what's the problem?" _Rocco asked.

Bubblegum took Anders out onto a balcony where they looked out at the Candy Kingdom, though it was just dozens of tents inside a wall.

"Do you know what I see when I look at this? I see hope, a hope for the Candy People to be more," said the Princess "Do you know why I've contacted you?"

"I'm a bounty-hunter with magical abilities, I assume you want me to find something," said Anders, scratching the back of his ear.

"I need to protect my people and I need a specific item to do so," said Bubblegum, her hands on the wall and the wind causing her bubblegum ponytails to float in the air "But, finding it could be dangerous,"

Anders walked over to her, Rocco hovering around their heads, and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall.

"I can find anything. I once found a toenail clipping on Mars, one of my grosser cases," said the sorcerer "I can even find things that haven't been seen in centuries,"

They both smiled at each other and Bubblegum's pink cheeks darkened.

_"Kiss her!" _Rocco exclaimed.

Bubblegum turned away, brushing some pink hair behind her ear.

"I need you to find this," Bubblegum passed him a scroll with a drawing of an armband on it "It belongs to the Ice King, he rules the Ice Kingdom,"

"I've heard of that toot, can't help calling everybody 'Gunter'," said Anders, looking at the scroll "What's the big jiff? He ain't that powerful,"

"No but he has a ward, kinda like his surrogate daughter," said Bubblegum "Her name's Marcelline the Vampire Queen and she's the dangerous one,"

"Ain't she, like, 15?" Anders asked.

Bubblegum nodded and walked back inside, Anders following and Baby Peppermint toddling along. Bubblegum picked up Baby Peppermint as Anders swatted Rocco away as the phoenix pestered him to get with Bubblegum.

* * *

Finn swung his sword at the Ice King as Flame Princess melted herself out of her cage. Flame Princess stepped out of the cage and put her fingers together like a gun and fired a fireball at the Ice King. The fireball landed on the floor and melted through the floor.

"Hey, what's down there?" Finn asked, looking down and the battle ending.

"That's the tunnel to the vault," said Ice King "Froze it over a few hundred years ago, can't remember why,"

Finn looked at Jake, who was getting Princess Bubblegum, and called to him.

"Hey, Jake, come here,"

Jake ran over with Bubblegum and they looked down the tunnel.

"So. Who wants to go on an adventure?" Ice King asked "C'mon, let's go,"

"Well, I'm in," said Marcelline, appearing out of nowhere "C'mon, follow me," she started floating down the tunnel.

They looked at each other before jumping down the tunnel. Bubblegum and Finn sat on Jake's back as he stretched them down. Ice King hovered down and Flame Princess came down with fire burning from her feet and hands like rocket-boosters.

* * *

Anders sat on the side of the pond, using hydrokinesis to make shapes with the water. Bubblegum sat next to him and laughed when she popped a water bubble with her finger. They both smiled at each other. It had been a week and they had grown _very _close (Anders' job to steal the armband was to begin in 3 weeks).

"So, Anders, where're your parents?" Bubblegum asked.

"Mother died when I was born. My father somewhat blamed me so I was raised by my uncle. My uncle was the one who taught me magic and how to find things," said Anders, popping the water figure he had in his hands "My uncle died when I was 12. That's when I created Rocco to keep me company,"

"I was raised by my uncle too," said Bubblegum, turning away with a sigh.

Anders used his fingertips to turn her face to look at him. They looked at each other before they began leaning in, their eyes sliding shut. They supported themselves, respectively, by leaning on their hands and they slid their hands over one another.

Before they could kiss, Young Mr. Cream-Puff came running from the bushes and pushed Anders into the pond while screaming...

"MY PRINCESS!"

"Anders!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed.

Anders wasn't exactly known for looking out for others, he was raised to survive. A byproduct of this was that he didn't care if a girl had a boyfriend, he'd steal her from him.

Young Mr. Cream-Puff punched Anders in the face repeatedly. Most Candy People were sweet but, when their candy-hearts are broken, they could go sour. Young Mr. Cream-Puff and Princess Bubblegum had broken up a while ago but he was still jealous.

Anders defended himself and punched back. Young Mr. Cream-Puff grabbed Anders' dagger from inside his black leather jacket and started jabbing it at him. Anders hydrokinetically pushed them both from the water and onto the shore. Princess Bubblegum jumped back in shock as Young Mr. Cream-Puff continued to try and stab Anders. Anders pulled the dagger from Young Mr. Cream-Puff's hand and, in the heat of the moment, stabbed him in the candy-heart.

"Anders!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed.

Anders got up and dropped the dagger in the pond, before kneeling down and washing his hands of Young Mr. Cream-Puff's inner cream. Princess Bubblegum knelt beside him with her hands on his shoulders.

"Anders?" she said, softly.

"I'm sorry," Anders said, standing up straight and taking Bubblegum's hand "I try not to kill sentient beings," he helped her stand.

Princess Bubblegum rested the back of her hands in Anders' hands and she looked at him as he stared into the pond water with a melancholy look. Bubblegum turned his face to look at her.

"I forgive you," said Bubblegum "I'm the princess so I say you shall not be charged,"

They leaned in and kissed.

* * *

The adventurers went through the ice tunnel in search for the Ice King's vault. Finn looked around with a weird look.

"Have I- been here before?" Finn asked "This place seems familiar,"

"I don't think so, honey, we only found this tunnel by accident," said Flame Princess.

Marcelline hovered with her arms crossed. She knew what they would find in the vault. Unlike Simon, Marcelline remembered what went down there and what provoked Simon to seal the tunnel.

"This place looks familiar to me too," said Jake, looking around "Heh, weird,"

* * *

As Anders and Bubblegum kissed, they experienced the byproduct of kissing a sorcerer. They were seeing what their lives would be like with each other in it.

_Princess Bubblegum wore a sleeveless blue dress with a blue trim around her shoulders and a blue vale. Anders held her in his arms as they kissed in front of a group of candy citizens and a candy priest behind them._

_Anders lay on an army cot with a bandage around his forehead and bandages showing where his clothes were ripped. Princess Bubblegum gently dabbed a wet cloth on Anders head. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles._

___Anders and Bubblegum knelt down and were crowned king and queen._

_Queen Bubblegum lay in bed, under the covers, with Anders sitting beside her, on the covers. His hand was over their unborn child and her hands kept them there. They smiled at each other._

_Anders and Queen Bubblegum watched as their pink daughter and 2 blue sons played together in the gardens. Rocco's chicks flying around them._

Anders and Princess Bubblegum parted and looked at each other.

"Did you see that?" Bubblegum asked.

"It's a plausible future," said Anders "When you kiss a sorcerer you see what your life with them in it could be like. So, that means, there's a chance that if I stay around we'll-"

Bubblegum interrupted him with another kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm in love with you," she said, exhilarated.

"I'm in love with you too," said Anders "You talk to much," and he kissed her again, his arms around her waist.

* * *

The group came to an ice vault so big you could fit the Cyclops in it. Flame Princess lifted her hands and shot some blue flames from them.

"I'll open it," she said, stepping forward.

Finn ran in front of her and put his arm in front of her.

"Don't, you might destroy whatever's inside," he said.

"Let me try!" Jake said, stretching his arms forward and tried to turn the crank "Uhhg! It's too tight,"

Finn looked up at the vault door. It seemed so familiar... had he been there before? Finn blinked and felt like his arms were raised and he saw magic shoot out and melt the door. Finn shook his head and looked at his hands and at the door.

Bubblegum hugged her arms as the others tried to break down the vault door. She sat down on an ice block. She felt someone behind her and someone lean in beside her ear.

_"Can you believe I was reincarnated as him? I wish I got that armband to you..."_

Bubblegum turned her head and saw no one. But, the voice was familiar and she hadn't heard that voice in... centuries.

* * *

Princess Bubblegum flew over the Candy Kingdom with her arms around Anders as the sorcerer guided Rocco. Bubblegum rested her head on his shoulder and Anders directed Rocco upwards.

"This is amazing! I see why you fly!" Bubblegum exclaimed "I'm so getting a bird!"

"Try a morrow," said Anders "They're fast,"

Rocco soared above the cotton candy clouds. Anders turned around and sat backwards, facing Bubblegum. They smiled at each other and took each other's hands.

"You leave in 2 weeks, promise you'll come back?" Bubblegum asked, looking worried at him.

Anders kissed the back of her hand.

"I will," said Anders, looking at her lovingly "I've never had a home to go back to after my jobs but, now, I have something to return to... someone to return to,"

He gently kissed her before turning around and taking Rocco's reins. Bubblegum put her arms around his neck and they soared downwards, back to the Candy Kingdom. The Candy People waved up at them as they glided back to the castle.

* * *

Marceline hovered in the air as Finn hit the vault door with a sword. She sighed and she floated over to the crank, spinning the crank and opening it. It opened to another tunnel and they started down it.

There were spikes of ice around the edges.

"Looks like after one of our and the Ice King's fights," said Jake, breaking the tip of an icicle.

"Now, I'm sure I've been down here," said Finn, stomping his foot.

"Hmm..." said the Ice King "Last time I was down here I-I don't remember. Something happened..."

A blue ghost floated behind a corner, spying on them all, but he kept an eye on Bubblegum.

* * *

Anders and Bubblegum danced to the music during the ball.

"I didn't think you could dance," Bubblegum said as she spun out.

"I'm full of surprises," Anders said, pulling her back in.

He wrapped his arms around her and they just swayed to the music, left and right, left and right, left and right.

"So... what's the deal about the armband?" Anders asked.

"When put on the steeple, it'll create a force-field to protect the Candy Kingdom," said Bubblegum, she turned in his hands and put her hands behind his neck "I might just knight you if you succeed,"

"Sir Anders? Go figure, I come for a job and I fall in love and get knighted," Anders said "This just might be the best thing ever,"

Bubblegum giggled and rested her head on his shoulder. They'd both had a rough beginning in life but things seemed to be moving forward for them both.

* * *

Anders kissed Bubblegum goodbye. She was worried beyond contempt for his safety on this mission. Rocco stretched his wings and lowered them for Anders to mount him.

"Be safe?" Bubblegum asked.

Anders had one arm around Bubblegum's waist, one of her hands on his cheeks and his hand over hers. There was even a slight tear falling down Bubblegum's cheek. Anders kissed her forehead and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'll come back and I'll bring back the armband to protect the Candy Kingdom," Anders said.

He turned and mounted Rocco, who got ready to fly.

"Be safe, love," said Bubblegum.

"I will," he called to her "Rocco, fly," and Rocco soared upwards.

Bubblegum watched as her love flew away. She'd only known each other for a month but the vision they saw when they first kissed promised them a good life together. She flipped her hair and picked up Baby Peppermint before walking inside.

* * *

Anders and Rocco flew towards the Ice Kingdom and to the highest mountain with an opening. Rocco shifted to his smaller size and they landed in the room with a cage on one end and an ice throne at another. Anders opened the scroll and found the map to the vault.

"That way, c'mon, Rocco," said Anders and they walked down the tunnel.

Marceline, meanwhile, was floating in her bedroom at the Ice Palace. She played her guitar as she floated. But, something wasn't right, there was something in the air. Maybe it was Simon losing even more of his mind, she was seriously considering leaving him and going back to the Nightosphere.

Anders tiptoed through the group of sleeping penguins. He stepped backwards then turned around only to be face-to-face with the Vampire Queen.

"Who are you?" she asked, folding her arms.

"I'm..." Anders shot a blast of heat through the floor and ran past her.

Marceline chased him and managed to dodge the breath of fire Rocco shot at her. Anders jumped over Ice King and knocked his crown off. Simon fell over and Marceline stopped to help him up.

Anders found his way to the tunnel to the vault. He walked along the vault, looking for the armband. Rocco grew to his phoenix form and walked behind him as protection from a behind attack.

"What are you doing here, sorcerer?" Marceline asked, hovering by.

Anders jumped back and formed a flame around his fist.

"Relax, guy, I'm just wondering," said Marceline.

"This armband, my girlfriend wants me to find it," he said, showing her the scroll.

"Why?"

"To protect the Candy Kingdom,"

"Okay, c'mon, I know where it is!" Marceline said, flying through the tunnel.

_"Seriously?" _Rocco asked.

* * *

Finn and Jake looked around in confusion. They had never been there before but they felt like they knew this place.

"Hey, Jake, you feel like you've seen this place?" Finn asked "I keep seeing myself do magic but I'm not doing anything,"

"I keep seeing a black-haired, blue-skinned, boy and..." Jake said.

They looked at each other.

"It seems you're remembering something," said Flame Princess "Do you know about any past lives?"

"Shoko," Finn and Jake said in unison.

"Shoko's spirit is back?" Bubblegum asked.

"No... not Shoko... someone else," said Finn "I'm gonna try unlocking my mental vault and looking inside," he put his hands to his temples "You try too, Jakey,"

* * *

Ice King shot ice at them. Anders jumped over the ice shots and broke through the vault door like glass. He grabbed the armband off the podium and ran back to Rocco.

"You don't leave 'til I say so!" Ice King yelled.

Spikes shot from the floor and threw Rocco. Anders jumped back in shock. Rocco bled and he fell to the floor, the spikes pointing through him.

"Rocco?" Anders said, kneeling beside his best friend.

_"Go... be with your princess," _Rocco said.

Anders turned around and shot magical energy out from his hand at the Ice King. He ran for it with the armband in his hand. Anders' heal was frozen to the floor and stopped him in his tracks. He crouched down and started hitting the ice with the armband.

The Ice King came at him with ice shooting from his hands.

"Simon! Don't!" Marceline shouted "I'll leave if you don't stop!"

Ice King shot his ice powers at Anders. Anders reached away from him, stretching his arm out with the armband in his hand. Ice King walked past him, leaving Anders frozen solid.

In his last seconds, Andres heart broke and a tear froze on his cheek.

* * *

Finn and Jake looked at each other.

"No way could one of our past lives have been killed by the Ice King," said Jake, stretching his face to Finn.

"I know. What was your past life called?" Finn asked.

"I was a phoenix called Rocco!"

Bubblegum looked at him when he said that. She saw the 2nd vault door and pushed it open, only to see a sight she never wanted to see. There was a phoenix skeleton with ice spikes through it. The last door to the vault was smashed. What broke her heart was that Andres... was frozen solid. His unfrozen arm with the armband in it had decomposed away, leaving a skeletal arm.

Bubblegum covered her mouth in shock. She had always hoped Anders had merely been captured by someone and would one day escape and they'd be reunited. Bubblegum closed her eyes as tears fell. She fell to her knees but someone caught her and lifted her to her feet.

"Hey, P.B," a voice said.

Bubblegum looked at him... a transparent, light blue, version of Anders.

"Anders!" she gasped, smiling.

"Here, sorry it took so long," Anders said, passing her the armband "Take care of the Candy Kingdom,"

Anders put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

"I miss you, Anders, I always will," Bubblegum said, tears falling down her cheeks.

Anders turned around and whistled. A ghost Rocco flew down from the ceiling and landed by Anders. He mounted the ghost phoenix and waved goodbye.

"By the way, Finn, I'm the life after Shoko," said Anders, he looked at Bubblegum "Do the math, princesa, we met when I was 17 which was a full 17 years since Shoko died,"

"Bonnie was the girlfriend you wanted to protect?" Marceline asked, floating around "Go figure,"

"See ya, Marcy," said Anders "Bye, Bubblegum... love you,"

"Love you, too," said Bubblegum.

Rocco's wings flapped and they reeled back to take off.

"I'll be ascending or whatever," said Anders.

And he and Rocco flew through the ceiling.

* * *

Bubblegum walked to the dumbwaiter that went all the way through the palace. She opened it up and placed the armband inside. Bubblegum pulled the rope and the dumbwaiter took the armband to the top of the palace's highest point. Lady Rainacorn picked up the armband, flew to the top of the steeple with her and Jake's children flying around her, and put the armband around the steeple.

The armband shook and wrapped itself tightly around the point. A rainbow coloured energy radiated from the armband and spread across the Candy Kingdom, creating a force-field.

Bubblegum looked as the force-field came into existence from her balcony. Her eyes were big and glittering.

"Thank you, Anders, thank you," she said.

* * *

**Trivia:**

**Finn's crush on Bubblegum was because his past life loved her.**

**All 3 of Anders and Bubblegum's children were made of candy, Anders' skin colour made his sons blue.**

**Anders and Bubblegum's daughter, Taffy, would have been known as Princess Bubblegum because her mother would have been Queen Bubblegum.**

**Anders would never have been known as 'King Anders' despite being king, he would always be known as Sir Anders and would have been second-in-command to his wife.**

**When Anders disappeared in the Ice Kingdom, Bubblegum nearly went to war with the Ice King. Her similarity to Bettie made the Ice King fall in love with her.**

**After he killed Rocco and Anders, Marceline left Simon to his crazy Ice King ways. She returned to the Nightosphere until her father ate her fries. After leaving the Nightosphere and meeting Ash, she moved into the Tree Fort.**

* * *

**Challenge: I challenge you to draw fan art of Anders and post it on deviantart. He could be riding Rocco or be with Bubblegum. As long as it's decent.**


End file.
